Most people are familiar with the problems associated with the use of notebooks, which problems are caused by the tapering shape dimension between the back binder and the cover open ends distal to the back binder. Stacking of horizontally oriented notebooks vertically atop one another or placing vertically oriented upright notebooks horizontally side by side between bookends, for instance is very inconvenient. A search of existing Patents, however, has shown that relatively little has been done to overcome the problems until very recently.
In 1985 a Patent to Chang, U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,764 issued for a loose leaf binder spacer. The purpose of the Chang invention is to provide a system for use inside notebooks which can be adjusted to keep the covers of the so equipped notebook parallel when the notebook is closed, but not completely filled with loose leaf papers. The Chang invention can be described as a strip of material in which three bend point locuses are placed at 90 degree angles to the longitudinal dimension of the strip. At both ends of the strip, on the top thereof as one views the strip in side elevation with its bottom surface resting on a horizontal support, are placed connectors, such as hook and loop type with the hooks being at one end and the loops at the other end of the strip. The operation of the invention can best be understood by visualizing the strip from a side elevational view as alluded to above. The strip length to the right of the first bend point locus closest to the left side of the strip is caused to rotate counterclockwise around the first bend point locus, as is the next strip length to the right of the second bend point locus, around the second bend point locus. The strip length to the right of the third bend point locus, closest to the right side of the strip, is caused to rotate clockwise around the third bend point locus, in a fashion such that the connectors at the right and left sides of the strip contact. It will be appreciated that the horizontal portions of the strip so oriented, (i.e. the right and left sides of the strip as originally viewed), now both at the left side of the strip can, when the connectors are separated, be slid respectively by one another. Such a motion leads the elevated peak which forms at the second bend point locus to vary in height above the height of the furthest left portion of the strip, as originally viewed, as a result. Placing the Chang invention inside a notebook, affixed to the upper inside surface of the bottom cover of same allows one to create a spacer of the proper dimension to cause the closed covers of the so equipped notebook to be oriented parallel to one another, when the notebook is not completely filled with loose leaf paper.
Sternberg was granted a U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,689 in 1988 for a system using a different approach to solving the problem of interest herein. The primary Sternberg approach involves adding a rather long extension to the bottom cover of a notebook, which extension has affixed to it, on its upper surface and just adjacent to the open edge of the bottom notebook cover distal to the notebook back binder, (as one views the notebook in elevation from the bottom of the notebook as the lower outside surface of the notebook's bottom cover rests on a horizontal support), a rectangular block. Also on the upper surface of the long extension affixed to the bottom notebook cover is a connector means, such as one element of a loop and hook connector combination. On the upper outer surface of the top notebook cover is located the other element of the connector means. The long extension affixed to the bottom notebook cover has a bend point locus oriented at 90 degrees to the longitudinal dimension of the long extension which is just beyond the right extent of the rectangular block when viewed as alluded to above. The length of the rectangular block plus the thickness of the top notebook cover is set equal to the elevational height of the notebook back binder above the top of the bottom notebook cover. In use one rotates the long extension counterclockwise around the attachment point locus at which the long extension is affixed to the bottom notebook cover until the leftmost side of the rectangular block meets the upper inner surface of the bottom notebook cover and causes the rotation to cease. At this point the rectangular block and the affixed portion of the long extension will be oriented at 90 degrees to the horizontal bottom notebook cover. The top notebook cover can then be rotated clockwise around the attachment point locus at which it is attached to the notebook back binder so that its open end distal to the notebook back binder rests on the rectangular block on the side thereof which was originally the rightmost aspect thereof prior to the counterclockwise rotation of the long extension and the affixed rectangular block around the attachment point locus between the open end of the bottom notebook cover distal to the notebook back binder and the long extension. To complete the operation the portion of the long extension which was originally to the right of the aforementioned bend point locus can be rotated counterclockwise so that the two elements of the aforementioned connector means meet. At this point the notebook is found to be closed with the top and bottom covers in a parallel orientation with respect to one another. An alternative Sternberg approach involves a shorter extension with one element of a hook and loop connector on the far right side of the rectangular block. The complimentary connector element is placed on the inside surface of the top notebook cover along the open edge distal to the notebook back binder. In use the shorter extension can be rotated as described with respect to the long extension and the top cover caused to rotate as previously described so that the connector elements make contact.
Another approach to solving the problem of interest is taught in two patents to Thomas, namely U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,565,613 and 4,524,991, which issued in 1986 and 1985 respectively. The approach in said patents is to construct snap-on devices which are of proper size for use on existing notebooks. Present on the devices are configurations which are of proper size and orientation to clamp to the open edges of the notebook covers, which edges are distal to the notebook back binder. When such a device is snapped in place the resulting secured notebook presents itself with the top and bottom notebook covers oriented parallel to one another.
While the inventions described do provide end results which are desirable, they have certain drawbacks. For instance, the Chang Invention tends to cause damage such as creases to develop in papers kept in notebooks equipped with the invention and adjustment must be performed when the amount of loose leaf paper in a notebook equipped with the system is changed to keep the notebook covers parallel to one another. The Sternberg invention has, in the primary form, a very long extension on the bottom notebook cover and such is very inconvenient when one attempts to use the notebook, for instance, when taking notes therein at a small desk. While the alternate Sternberg approach has a shorter extension attached to the bottom notebook cover, a notebook incorporating the alternate device is difficult to open when the elements of the hook and loop connector means are coupled, and the shorter extension, like the longer extension of the primary Sternberg invention, with the rectangular block attached thereto, inconveniently hangs from the bottom notebook cover when the notebook is not closed. Additionally, many of the inventions discussed require that elements project beyond the normal outer peripheral surfaces of the notebook covers when the notebook is closed, thereby making easy sliding of closed notebooks which incorporate the inventions, into and out of tight spaces between other notebooks and bookends etc., difficult. The protruding elements tend to catch adjacent notebooks for instance and cause them to move along with the notebook of interest. The Thomas devices have this and another obvious drawback in that they are not attached permanently to a notebook cover, hence can be easily lost, or improperly placed upon a wrong notebook. The later problem can develop when identification markings are placed upon the devices.
In summary then, important drawbacks of existing inventions include:
(1) Devices which mount inside a notebook present the possibility that papers in the notebook will be creased;
(2) Inconveniently long extensions which hang from a notebook cover when the notebook is open makes the use of a notebook difficult, particularly in tight quarters;
(3) Notebook covers secured by hook and loop connectors can be difficult to open;
(4) Projections beyond the normal outer peripheral surfaces of notebook covers make stacking of horizontally oriented notebooks vertically, or sliding vertically oriented upright notebooks horizontally side by side by one another difficult;
(5) Devices which are not permanently attached to notebook covers can be easily lost or attached to improper notebooks thereby providing improper identification.
In view of the drawbacks identified, a need is seen to exist for an invention which serves to restrain notebooks in a closed position in which the covers are positioned parallel to one another, which invention:
(1) Does not mount inside a notebook where it can possibly damage papers;
(2) Does not require that unnecessarily long extensions be attached to notebook covers;
(3) Provides an easy to operate system and method of its use, which system requires no unusual force to operate and preferably can be operated with one hand by a motion similar to that required to open a book cover;
(4) Does not require any elements of the system to project beyond the normal outer peripheral surfaces of the notebook;
(5) Is permanently attached to a notebook cover to prevent loss or attachment to an improper notebook.
The system preferably should also provide means by which the papers inside a closed notebook can be protected against damage by external agents entered from the normally open space at the edges of the notebook covers. The system should also provide for definitely positioning any short extension from a cover in a convenient position when the notebook is not closed so that it does not interfere with the use of the notebook. The system also, should not require periodic adjustment to align notebook covers in a parallel configuration. Also, any extension from a notebook cover should be as simple in construction as is possible, and in particular should not have any rectangular blocks attached thereto.